Press Releases

Message from the Minister for Employment, Productivity, Industrial Relations & Youth and Sports: Honorable Parveen Bala Kumar

I am delighted to welcome all the participating youths who have travelled from afar and near for the 2018/2019 National Youth and Sports Conference.
Your attendance is indicative of your commitment to realize the objectives of this conference that is conveyed in the theme – “Empowering youths to be agents of change and promoting sports for development”.
Government is committed to an inclusive policy for all Fijians regardless of your ethnicity, your social background, your status in the community, your culture or your religious beliefs. Our objective is to reach out to all Fijians and no matter how isolated you may be.
The approach to the 2019 Fiji National Youth Conference is therefore different. This event provides a platform to build leadership skills, discuss critical youth issues and challenges facing young people today through dialogue, having an open mind, integration and collaboration and more importantly we want to hear from you and we will listen. Sport will also be integrated into the program to show how it can contribute to social cohesion, unity, discipline and comradeship.
I also wish to extend our gratitude to all the donors and stakeholders and those who have worked tirelessly to make this event a successful one. The major donors UNFPA, UNDP, Fiji National Sports Commission and the key support partners the Fiji Sports Council contributed immensely to resourcing this conference to ensure its success. The generosity of our donors allows the conference to provide a platform for youth to be empowered to make informed choices on social issues that affect their lives and provide sustainable alternatives.
It is my wish that you will enjoy the three-day conference with your peers and return to your abodes empowered to make the right choices.